Magnetically Driven Beverage Brewing System and Method

ABSTRACT

A coffee brewing system includes a brew vessel adapted to receive water and ground coffee to produce and store a brewed beverage. The brew vessel includes a filter and a magnet stirrer in the lower portion of the brew vessel. The magnet stirrer creates a water vortex for brewing the coffee. The used coffee grounds are allowed to settle on the filter creating a bed of used coffee grounds and the coffee is then filtered through both the bed of used coffee grounds and the filter and collected in a coffee storage container.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relate to systems and methods forbrewing a beverage. More particularly, the present disclosure relates tosystems and methods for brewing high quality hot coffee and cold brewcoffee in a rapid and convenient manner.

BACKGROUND

Coffee is a very popular drink that is consumed by a huge number ofconsumers every day. Typically consumers rely on coffee shops,restaurants, and other places that produce brewed coffee in bulk forconsumer consumption. In making large quantities of coffee, typicalcoffee brewing machines are used that pass heated water through a staticbed of coffee grounds to produce a coffee beverage that is collected ina coffee container. This is referred to as a drip coffee maker. Thestatic bed of coffee grounds, which grounds are produced by grindingroasted coffee beans, is typically contained within a disposable paperfilter held within a funnel.

A static bed of coffee grounds presents numerous problems thatnegatively affect the coffee made with known brewing machines accordingto traditional brewing methods. It is difficult to maintain thetemperature of the heated water while the heated water passes through astatic bed of coffee grounds. The heated water that is introduced at thetop of the coffee grounds is hotter than the water and dissolved coffeepassing through the bottom of the coffee grounds. That is, as the hotwater dripped onto the top of the static bed descends through the bed ofgrounds it loses heat, and the water is substantially reduced intemperature as it reaches the bottom regions of the static bed of coffeegrounds. The temperature drop of the water temperature passing throughthe static coffee grounds bed creates a temperature gradient that cannegatively affect the quality of brewed coffee produced. Among otherthings, the traditional drip coffee can become bitter and acidic.

Additionally, water channels result from water passing through thestatic bed of coffee grounds. Water channels cause the water to passthrough substantially the same parts of the coffee grounds static bed.In addition, exposing the same coffee grounds in the channel causes thewater to extract more of the unpleasant chemicals from the coffeegrounds and produce undesirable coffee. Further, a portion of thedesirable flavor components contained in the remaining coffee groundsnot in the channels are not sufficiently extracted, which results ineffectively wasting coffee beans and flavor.

In addition, used coffee grounds are only usable to produce a certainamount of coffee until the coffee produced becomes undesirable in taste.When the coffee brewing cycle is completed, the used coffee grounds andsoggy filters within these filter trays/funnels need to be physicallyremoved. The heavy filter tray needs to be constantly lifted by aworker, taken out, cleaned, and refilled with new filters and coffeegrounds. These filter trays with filters are generally positioned nearthe top of typical coffee brewers to allow gravity to pass water throughthe grounds and enable dispensing of coffee at a convenient height forworkers in a coffee shop. However, having to constantly reach up to thetop of these brewing machines to lift, remove and refill filter traysand filters can be a work safety issue for workers.

To address the deficiencies associated with the water flowing through astatic bed of ground coffee, the patent application to Mazzola, U.S.Patent No. 2005/0008744, discloses a drip type coffee machine that usesa rotating paddle to stir the coffee grounds as the hot water isintroduced to coffee grounds. However, the flavor of the coffee that isfirst created by the flowing of the water through the coffee grounds andthen the filter would be stronger than the coffee later created by theflowing of the water through the coffee grounds.

In the patent to King, U.S. Pat. No. 5,349,897, a coffee maker formaking a single cup of coffee is disclosed in which there is an upperbrew vessel and a lower coffee receiving receptacle. A mesh filter islocated between the upper brew vessel and the lower coffee receivingreceptacle. Ground coffee is inserted into the upper brew vessel and astream of air is pushed up into the brew vessel by a piston that mixesthe coffee grounds and water in the upper chamber during the brewing.After brewing the single cup of coffee, the piston reverses directionand the piston sucks the coffee that is in the upper chamber through thefilter into the lower coffee receiving receptacle where it is thendispensed.

In the patent application to Fishbein, U.S. Patent No. 2010/0203209, thecoffee maker has a brew vessel having a spinning blade or magneticallycoupled stirrer in the brew vessel for mixing the water and coffeegrounds. The entire contents of the brew vessel is then pumped throughfilters which separate the used coffee grounds from the coffee and thecoffee is then stored in a coffee container.

In the patent to Mathieu, U.S. Pat. No. 3,171,344, a coffee maker foruse as a coffee vending machine having automatic cleaning is disclosed.The coffee grounds and water are mixed in a brew vessel B. The entirecontents of the brew vessel is then deposited into a filter chamber Fwhich includes a conical filter. A rapidly rotating agitator 58 stirsthe fluidized slurry. The coffee is separated from the fluidized slurryby the filter F and is collected in a receptacle. Water is then sprayedinto the filter chamber F to wash the filter and brew vessel and theused coffee grounds are then ejected from the bottom of the brew vesselinto either the sewer system or into a collection chamber.

Cold brew coffee does not brew coffee with water that is at atemperature typically used to make hot coffee. Instead, the groundcoffee is mixed with water that is at a much lower temperature, closerto room temperature. The ground coffee and the water mixture are heldtogether, typically for 12 to 24 hours. The cold brew coffee is thenfiltered from the used coffee grounds and chilled, either by insertioninto the refrigerator or by adding ice. Due to the long brewing cycle aretail establishment would have to store large amounts of cold brewcoffee to meet customer needs. Accordingly, retailers typically useconcentrated cold brew and mix it with cold water and ice. Theconcentrate is not fresh and would typically contain chemicalpreservatives.

In patent application to Yu, 2016/0270587, a cold brew coffee makingmachine is disclosed in which ground coffee and water are mixed by aspinning blade to create turbulence in the brew vessel. Yu furtherdiscloses the removal of the used coffee grounds by a separate filter.

The Cuisinart cold brew maker (See www.cuisinart.com) spins coffeegrounds and water in a spinning basket, which is made of a filtermaterial, to make cold brew in a home unit. The spinning of the separatebasket causes the ground coffee beans to be forced against the side ofthe basket, by centrifugal force. The cycle time for making the coldbrew is between approximately 30-45 minutes, depending on the strengthof the cold brew coffee desired.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

A summary of various aspects of the present invention follows. Thisspecification uses the following defined terms: “Coffee beans” areroasted coffee beans; “coffee grounds” are roasted coffee beans that areground, either by the coffee grinder of the present invention, or by aseparate coffee grinder; “fluidized slurry” is the mixture of the coffeegrounds and water during brewing, either hot or cold; “used coffeegrounds” are the grounds that are in the fluidized slurry during andafter brewing; “coffee” is the fluid that is obtained after thefiltering of the fluidized slurry. The coffee may or may not containsediment; and “sediment” is particles of the used coffee grounds thatpass through the filter, but are not dissolved in the coffee.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a brew vesselreceives water and coffee grounds to produce a brewed beverage. Aportion of the walls of the brew vessel are made of a transparentmaterial, such as heat resistant glass, so that the brewing operation ofthe coffee is visible. The brew vessel includes a reusable filter,preferably conical, disposed in a lower portion of the brew vessel thatis used to filter the coffee from the mixture of coffee grounds andwater (fluidized slurry). A magnet stirrer in the lower portion of thebrew vessel, coupled to a motor below the magnet stirrer, creates awater vortex for mixing the ground coffee and water and at the same timepreventing the small particles of the used coffee grounds from cloggingthe pores of the filter.

Once the magnet stirrer is stopped, the used coffee grounds in thefluidized slurry settle to a lower portion of the brew vessel, coveringat least a portion, if not all, of the filter and a bottom butterflyvalve. After the used coffee grounds have substantially settled, thecoffee is then withdrawn from the brew vessel and stored in a separatecoffee container, such as a thermos.

The brew vessel is connected to a grounds outlet chute at a bottomportion of the brew vessel adapted to remove the used coffee groundsafter the coffee is withdrawn from the brew vessel. A butterfly valvehaving closed and open positions covers an outlet chute to allow usedcoffee grounds to enter the outlet chute and then to a drain or a usedcoffee grounds collector. The butterfly valve is controlled by a motor.

There is a significant heat loss to the water in the brew vessel throughthe glass wall of the brew vessel, and also once the ground coffee isintroduced into the water in the brew vessel. To replace the lost heat,the base includes a water circulation heat exchange system for replacingthe heat lost.

The present invention may also be used to make cold brew coffee.Typically, in making cold brew coffee, the temperature of the water isless than that of the water used for hot coffee.

A home version of the present invention is also disclosed in which bothhot coffee and cold brew coffee can be made. In the preferredembodiment, the home version would not have an automatic cleaningsystem, but would have removable components for cleaning. The operationof the home version would otherwise be essentially the same as theindustrial version.

The above summary has outlined, rather broadly, some features andtechnical advantages of the present disclosure in order that thedetailed description that follows may be better understood. Additionalfeatures and advantages of the disclosure will be described below. Itshould be appreciated by those skilled in the art that this disclosuremay be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing otherstructures for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure.It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that suchequivalent constructions do not depart from the teachings of thedisclosure as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features,which are believed to be characteristic of the disclosure, both as toits organization of components and method of operation, together withfurther objects and advantages, will be better understood from thefollowing description when considered in connection with theaccompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, thateach of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration anddescription only and is not intended as a definition of the limits ofthe present disclosure.

OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to a make smoother coffee.

It is another object of the present invention to more effectivelyextract the flavor of ground coffee.

It is still another object of the present invention to make moreconsistent brewed coffee.

It is yet another object of the present invention to more efficientlyuse the coffee grounds.

It is another object of the present invention to make cold brew coffeein less time.

It is also another object of the present invention to provide a coffeemachine that can make both hot coffee and cold brew coffee.

These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent fromthe following specification and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, referenceis now made to the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates a first perspective view of a magnetically drivenvortex-producing beverage brewing system in accordance with an aspect ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a first detailed sectioned view along lines 2-2 ofFIG. 1 of the magnetically driven beverage brewing system in accordancewith an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates an enlarged detailed sectioned view of the lowerportion of the magnetically driven beverage brewing system of FIG. 2 inaccordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a schematic sectioned view along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1of a control and recirculation system for the heating and cooling of thewater of the magnetically driven beverage brewing system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 illustrates a schematic sectional view of an alternative heatexchange for the brewing system of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic sectioned view of a cleaning system forthe magnetically driven beverage brewing system in accordance with anaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates a detailed sectioned view of an alternativeembodiment of the magnetically driven beverage brewing system of FIG. 1with an enlarged bottom grounds chamber in the outlet chute and arecycling system.

FIG. 8 illustrates a diagrammatic view of the flow of the fluidized bedof coffee during the brewing cycle;

FIG. 9 illustrates a diagrammatic view of the settled bed of used coffeegrounds after the magnet stirrer has stopped;

FIG. 10 illustrates a sectional top view of FIG. 1 along lines 10-10showing the heating/cooling exchanger;

FIG.11 illustrates a top perspective view of the housing, spinner andfilter of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the components ofFIG. 11 supporting the filter;

FIG. 13 illustrates the coffee removal line from a beverage brewingsystem to the coffee container;

FIG. 14 illustrates the connection of the coffee removal line to the Yconnection in the drain;

FIG. 15 illustrates the butterfly valve assembly used during cleaning ofthe coffee machine;

FIG. 16 illustrates a schematic sectioned view of the chilled beangrinder for the magnetically driven beverage brewing system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 17 illustrates a side sectional view of the home version of thepresent invention in its closed operating position;

FIG. 18 illustrates a side sectional view of the home version of thepresent invention in which the brew vessel and filter compartment areopen;

FIG. 19 illustrates a side sectional view of the home version of thepresent invention in which the brew vessel and filter compartment areseparated;

FIG. 20 illustrates the top view of the rotatable cover member in itsclosed position along lines 20-20 of FIG. 17 of the home version of thepresent invention;

FIG. 21 illustrates the top view of the rotatable cover member in itsopen position along lines 20-20 of FIG. 17 of the home version of thepresent invention;

FIG. 22 illustrates a top sectional view of the rotatable cover memberalong lines 22-22 of FIG. 17;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is intended as a description of variousconfigurations and is not intended to represent the only configurationsin which the concepts described herein may be practiced. The detaileddescription includes specific details for the purpose of providing athorough understanding of the various concepts. It will be apparent tothose skilled in the art, however, that these concepts may be practicedwithout these specific details. In some instances, well-known structuresand components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoidobscuring such concepts. As described herein, the use of the term“and/or” is intended to represent an “inclusive OR”, and the use of theterm “or” is intended to represent an “exclusive OR.”

As shown in FIG. 1, the beverage brewing system 100 broadly comprises abrew vessel 102, a cover 104 the top of the brew vessel 102, and a beangrinder assembly 106 disposed on the cover 104. The bean grinderassembly 106 has a grinder assembly housing 107. In addition, the lowerportion of the brew vessel 102 is disposed on and within a base 108. Thebase, in the preferred embodiment, is made of stainless steel. An outletchute 110 is coupled to and in fluid communication with a second end ofthe brew vessel 102, opposite the first end beneath the base 108. Ahousing 112 coupled to the base 108 is adapted to house elements of thebeverage brewing system. The base 108 also has a conduit seat 113 thatextends from the base 108 and receives a conduit 114 that extends fromthe conduit seat 113 to the cover portion 104. The conduit 114 isadapted to support the cover 104 and the bean grinder assembly 106, andprovides a channel for housing fluid and/or water and electrical linesto allow fluid and/or water and electricity to be supplied to differentparts of the beverage brewing system 100 using tubing, electricalwiring, and the like. Water inlets 800 connect to the interior of thebrew vessel 102.

A portion of the walls of the brew vessel 102 above the base 108 may bemade of glass or other transparent material, in order to provide a viewof the vortex-producing brewing process. However, the brew vessel 102may be made of completely opaque material. The brew vessel 102 iscapable of handling temperatures of up to and including about 500degrees Fahrenheit. The brew vessel 102 has a secondary transparentlayer disposed on an exterior of the transparent portions of the wallsthe brew vessel 102. The secondary transparent layer is used fortemperature isolation to help maintain a desired temperature for thebrewed beverage and leak containment should the brew vessel 102 leak.The secondary transparent layer is an exterior plexiglass tube, a vinylwrap, a polycarbonate wrap, or the like. It should be appreciated bythose skilled in the art that the brew vessel does not necessarily needto be transparent and can instead be opaque or completelynon-transparent.

The filter 128 shown separately in FIG. 12 includes upper and lowerfilter seals 237 and 239. The filter 128 is made of nylon, but may bemade of other heat resistant materials, such as polymer mesh filter,polyester filter membrane, or the like. Filters with pore sizes in arange of approximately 35 to 40 microns are used in the preferredembodiment. The filter 128 is conical and open at both ends andapproximately 4 inches tall with an upper diameter of 9 inches and alower diameter of 5 inches. Other shapes and dimension may be used aswell.

As shown in FIG. 12, a conical filter support ring 700 supports thefilter 128. The conical filter support ring 700 fits within base 108 andrests on ledge 702. The internal wall 704 of the conical filter supportring 700 is spaced from the filter 128 leaving a narrow opening 706 forpassage of the filtered coffee to a coffee accumulation reservoir 164.The external portion 712 of the conical filter support ring 700 createsone wall of the annular heat exchanger 508, and the internal taperedportion 704 forms the other wall of the annular heat exchanger 508.Partition 513 controls the flow of water within the annular heatexchanger 508.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the brew vessel 102 also includes a magnetstirrer 158 disposed in a lower portion of the brew vessel 102. Themagnet stirrer 158 rotates at a speed sufficient to mix the coffeegrounds and water under different loads. The speed of the stirrer ispreferably fast enough to form a fluid/water vortex. The magnet stirreris a magnet and may be covered in plastic or other inert material toprevent corrosion from contact with the water during brewing.

The magnet stirrer 158 is fitted within a substantially nonmagnetic dish157 in the bottom of the brew vessel 102. The dish 157 serves to limitthe ability of the magnet stirrer 158 from leaving its position inmagnetic coupling with the motor 162. In addition, as shown in FIG. 8,during brewing the lip 159 of the dish 157 directs the flow of thefluidized slurry in a generally upward direction that is substantiallyparallel or tangential to the surface of the filter 128. The magnetstirrer 158 is capable of stirring the water and ground coffee for aselected amount of time, and at different speeds over the period of timebased on the beverage desired to be produced. After the coffee brewingcycle, the magnet stirrer 158 is used to agitate the water and cleaningsolution to rinse and clean the beverage brewing system 100 as discussedbelow.

The magnet stirrer 158 is magnetically connected to an electromechanicaldrive system (e.g. motor 162 and drive train 160) positioned outside ofthe brew vessel to avoid complex sealing mechanisms and/or the need toseal shafts from the exterior to the interior of the brew vessel 102. Itshould be appreciated that the motor 162 may also directly drive themagnet stirrer 158, without an intervening drive train. As illustrated,the rotating platform and magnet stirrer 158 are rotationally positionedin a substantially centrally located position of the base 108.

While a magnet stirrer is described above, it is possible that a motordriven blade system could also be used in its place. Such a blade systemwould require a waterproof housing for the blade, shaft and bearings,and/or seals for preventing leakage from the brew vessel 102. It isrecognized that any seals or metal parts in constant contact with hotwater would be subject to deterioration and leakage. The use of a magnetstirrer 158 avoids such leakage.

A region surrounding the magnet stirrer 158 and exterior to the filter128 defines beverage/coffee accumulation reservoir 164 where the brewedbeverage accumulates for withdrawal through coffee outlet opening 180and coffee outlet line 182 by the flexible coffee removal line 129.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 10-12, the base 108 has a surrounding annularheat exchanger 508 to circulate hot water in and out of the annular heatexchanger 508 in order to heat the brew vessel 102 and the fluidizedslurry during brewing to the desired temperature. In the event the wateris too hot, cooler water is passed from the refrigerator unit 202 andinto the annular heat exchanger 508. The hot water, typicallyapproximately 195° F. from a water source 500 heated by a hot waterheater 502 is pumped by pump 504, controlled by valve 512, into inlet506, around the annular heat exchanger 508 and out of outlet 510 andback to the hot water heater 502. Partition 513 controls the directionof the water flow. The pump 504, the valve 512, and the temperature ofthe water heater 502 and associated valves are all controlled bycontroller 514.

As shown in FIG. 5, in an alternative embodiment, a temperature controltube 204 is coiled around the lower portion of the brew vessel 102 tohelp maintain the temperature of the water instead of the annular heatexchanger 508 described above. Hot or cooling water would enter thecoiled tube 204 at one end 211 and exit the other end 213 of the coiledtube 204. A controller 215 controls the flow of water from the watersource 217, the pump 219, the heater 221 the refrigerator system 202 andassociated valves.

Alternatively the base 108 may be heated by other heat conductiveelements (not shown) in addition to or alternatively to heated fluid.

In the event additional heating of the fluidized slurry in the brewvessel 102 is found necessary, there is a secondary and independentwater circulation system for heating the water in the brew vessel 102,as shown in FIG. 4. Controller 188 controls a recycling tube 196, a hotwater heater 502, pump 200, and a refrigerating unit 202 to ensure thewater within the brew vessel 102 is at, and maintained at, an optimaltemperature for the beverage being brewed. In this embodiment, once thefluid level sensor 192 determines that sufficient water has beendispensed for brewing, the controller 514 causes the recycling tube 196to be lowered, by motor 173 and flat gear 175 into the brew vessel 102and the water. The recycling tube 196 is in fluid communication with apump 200 and periodically (or continuously) draws water from a topportion of the brew vessel 102, where the water may be a coolertemperature than the water at the lower portion of the brew vessel 102,and cycles that drawn water to the heater 198. The system continuouslymonitors the water temperature by sensor T 193 in the brew vessel 102until the water reaches the desired temperature.

Alternatively, a pump 200 may pump the water to a refrigeration unit 202to further regulate the temperature of the water in the event the waterin the brew vessel 102 is too hot. Fluid may be pumped from the heater198 or the refrigeration unit 202 to the at least one nozzle 186 in thetop of the brew vessel to permit the water to reenter the brew vessel102. A temperature sensor 206 may be used to determine when the fluidwithin the brew vessel 102 is at the optimal/desired temperature. Whenfluid within the vessel is as the desired/selected temperature, thecontroller 188 causes the recycling tube 196 to be retracted from thewater in the brew vessel 102, and coffee grounds can then be added tothe brew vessel 102.

The above described water circulation system is only used before coffeegrounds are added to the brew vessel 102. The withdrawal of therecycling tube 196 before coffee grounds are added to the brew vessel102 prevents coffee grounds in the fluidized slurry from coming intocontact with the interior of the recycling tube 196, avoiding having toclean the water circulation system components.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, and 15 the outlet chute 110 has at its upperend a butterfly valve assembly 134. The butterfly valve 136 is adaptedto actuate between a closed 135 and an open 137 position, shown indotted lines in FIG. 3. The butterfly valve 136 is controlled by motorassembly 111. When in the closed 135 position used coffee grounds areprevented from passing into the outlet chute 110. When in the open 137position the used coffee grounds G are permitted to pass into the outletchute 110 to the drain D as shown in detail in FIG. 15.

The butterfly valve assembly 134 includes a butterfly valve 136, abutterfly valve supports 140, 144. A screen 139 is positioned above thebutterfly valve 136 accessible to a water inlet 141, which in turn isconnected to a source of air or water 143. The butterfly valve 136 isdisposed within the butterfly valve seat 138 and is actuatable relativeto the seat 138 to pivot. The butterfly valve 136 and the butterflyvalve seat 138 are housed between butterfly valve assembly housingportions 140, 142.

As shown in FIG. 16, the bean grinder assembly 106 includes a beanhopper 168 adapted to store and prepare beans (or other ingredients),e.g., coffee beans, for grinding to produce grounds to be introducedinto and used in the beverage brewing system 100 to brew a beverage. Thebean hopper 168 is coupled to a grind housing 170 to allow the coffeebeans to be dropped into the grind housing 170, where the coffee beansmay be ground into beverage (e.g., coffee) grounds, such as by burrgrinders. Any other types of grinders can also be used. A bean feeder171 may be used to create movement within the bean hopper 168 to urgethe coffee beans to be pushed into the grind housing 170. A grindingmotor 172 is coupled to the grind housing 170 to drive grinders to grindthe coffee beans into coffee grounds. The bean grinder assembly 106 hasa grounds ramp 174 that is adapted to move to a position to directcoffee grounds dropped from the grind housing through an aperture 176formed in the cover portion 104 into an appropriate part of the watervortex created by the magnet stirrer 158 in the brew vessel 102 to brewthe beverage/coffee. The grinder assembly 106 has a pinion 178 and rack180 to actuate the bean grinder assembly 106 between an open positionwhere coffee grounds are allowed to enter the brew vessel 102 throughthe aperture 176 and a closed position where the brew vessel 102 andaperture 176 are sealed.

In an alternative embodiment, the bean hopper 168 may have cooling coils182 disposed around a bottom portion of the bean hopper 168. The coolingcoils 182 may be adapted to keep the coffee beans stored in the beanhopper 168 cool, prior to grinding, to produce a higher quality brewedbeverage. The cooling coils 182 may be kept cool by a refrigeration unit184 disposed within or proximate to the grinder assembly housing 107. Byway of illustration, a cold air blower 186 may be disposed within ornear the grinder assembly housing 107. The cold air blower 186 may beadapted to blow cold air on the coffee beans as they enter the grindhousing 170, with a portion of the cold air coming into contact with thegrinders to maintain the grinders at a cold temperature. Therefrigeration unit 184 and the cold air blower may be controlled by acontroller 188.

The entire cycle of the coffee beverage brewing system of the presentinvention will now be described. The brew vessel 102 is filled withwater from nozzle 190 to automatically feed a desired amount of water tobe used to brew a brewed beverage into the brew vessel 102. In thepreferred embodiment, the brew vessel has a capacity of 5 gallons, andis filled with approximately 3 gallons of water for brewing, although itshould be appreciated that systems according to the disclosure may beimplemented at smaller or larger scale.

The nozzle 190 feeds water from water conduit 192 connected to a watersource 191. The water source 191 may be any of various sources of watercapable of feeding water into the brewing system 100 such as a watertank, reservoir, filtered dispenser, or the like. The water conduit 192may be any of various types of pipe, tubing, or the like capable oftransporting water from the water source 191 to the at least one nozzle190. The nozzles 190 feed water into the brew vessel 102 until a desiredcapacity is reached, as determined by a fluid level sensor 194. Thefluid level sensor 194 may be any of various sensors capable ofdetecting a quantity of flow or level of fluid within a container, suchas flow sensors, capacitive sensors, optical sensors, strain gages orthe like. At the same time, hot water is pumped through the annular heatexchanger 508 to heat the brew vessel 102. Before the ground coffee G isinserted into the brew vessel 102 only water is in the brew vessel 102.Water passes through the filter 128 into the accumulation reservoir 164,filling up the accumulation reservoir, until the coffee is withdrawn.Some coffee may pass through the filter 128 during brewing due to thehydrostatic head of the water as well as due to the pressure from thefluidized slurry being forced against the filter.

If the secondary water recycling tube system has been used, once theselected temperature of the water is reached, the controller 188 causesthe recycling tube 196 to be withdrawn from the water. As describedabove, the recycling tube 196 is only used when the annular heatexchanger 508 is insufficient for the water in the brew vessel 102 to beat the selected temperature.

The controller 188 then starts the motor 162 to drive the magnet stirrer158 to form a hot water vortex in the brew vessel 102. Once the watervortex is formed, the bean grinder assembly 106 grinds beans to producecoffee grounds from the stored coffee beans, as described above. Thecoffee grounds G are fed from the bean grinder assembly 106 into thewater vortex in the brew vessel 102 using the grounds ramp 174 to ensureappropriate placement at a swirling edge of the vortex. Once apredetermined amount of coffee grounds has been dropped into the watervortex, the controller 188 actuates the bean grinder assembly 106 into aclosed position to seal the aperture 176 to prevent additional coffeegrounds from entering the brew vessel 102.

Referring to FIG. 8 the flow of the fluidized slurry during brewing isshown. The fluidized slurry is directed outwardly (arrows) by therotation of the magnet stirrer 158 and is directed by the lip 159 of thedish 157 in a generally upward direction toward the filter 128. The flowof the fluidized slurry passes generally parallel or tangentially to thesurface of the filter 128 and then continues in an upward directionuntil it then is directed toward the top of the fluidized slurry andthen towards the center of the vortex created by the magnet stirrer 158.The passage of the fluidized slurry along the surface of the filter 128acts to brush any sediment or small coffee grounds in the fluidized bedaway from the filter 128, preventing the filter from being clogged bythe sediment, which is silt like. After a selected period of time themagnet stirrer is stopped. A typical brew time is approximately 8minutes, but depends on the amount of water used, the amount of coffeegrounds used and the desired strength of the coffee. Once the brewing isfinished the magnet stirrer 158 is stopped and the used coffee groundsin the fluidized slurry are allowed to settle.

The used coffee grounds G are allowed to settle for approximately 2minutes after the magnet stirrer 158 is turned off. The used coffeegrounds settle to the bottom of the brew vessel and on top of the filterand the butterfly valve and in compartment 140. Referring to FIG. 9 animage of the used coffee grounds is shown. The larger sized grounds (L)of the used coffee grounds settle first due to gravity, with thesmallest sized grounds settling last (S). The intermediate sized groundssettle in between. The top layer of the used coffee grounds (S) isessentially sediment having a size smaller than the pores or openings inthe filter 128. Having the larger of the used coffee grounds (L) settlefirst on the filter 128 prevents the smallest particles of the usedcoffee grounds (S) from fitting within the pores of the filter 128 andsubstantially passing through the filter 128 clogging the openings inthe filter 128.

Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, the withdrawal of the coffee from the brewvessel 102 is shown. A coffee removal line 129 is made of a flexibleheat resistant material. One end 601 of the coffee removal line 129 isattached to the coffee outlet line 182 which in turn is connected to theaccumulation reservoir 164 surrounding the filter 128. A pump 602 isused to speed up the withdrawal of the coffee. The pump 602 operates incooperation with valve 604. It is possible to have the coffee dripthrough the filter 128 by gravity, as in the home version, to the coffeeremoval line 129 without the pump 602, but in a commercial environmentthis would take too long and would be commercially unacceptable. Theother end 606 of the coffee removal line 129 has a quick release valve608 that is connected to the coffee container 610, which also has acorresponding quick release valve. The quick release valve 608 preventsthe hot coffee within the coffee removal line 129 from being dischargedwhen not connected to the coffee container 610. After substantially allof the coffee is withdrawn from the brew vessel 102, the coffee removalline 129 is disconnected from the coffee container 610 and the end 606of the coffee removal line 129 is connected to the drain through thedrain Y connection 611. The input to the drain Y connection 611 also hasa quick release valve 609. During cleaning of the brewing system, thecoffee removal line 129 is also cleaned and the cleaning fluid passesthrough the coffee removal line 129 and to the drain Y connection 611.

FIG. 6 illustrates the cleaning of the beverage brewing system accordingto the disclosure. After withdrawing substantially all of a brewedbeverage from the brew vessel 102 water is sprayed through nozzles 800from the top of the brew vessel to wash away any residual coffee groundsG. Further, a soap/cleaning solution may be pumped into the waterfilling the brew vessel 102. The controller turns on the magnet stirrer158 to create movement of the cleaning water to aid in the cleaning ofthe beverage brewing system 100. At the same time, the butterfly valve136, while in its closed position, has a burst of air or water appliedthrough opening 121 to the screen 139 on the upper portion of thebutterfly valve 136 to dislodge any accumulation of used coffee groundsresting on top of the butterfly valve 136. The butterfly valve 136 isthen opened, washing the water, cleaning solution and used coffeegrounds into the outlet chute 110 and to the drain D. At the same timethe butterfly valve 136 is cleaned. The butterfly valve 136 is thenclosed. A rinse cycle of clean water is then initiated, dispensing hotwater into the brew vessel to rinse remaining soap/cleaning solutionfrom inside the brew vessel 102. The butterfly valve 136 is then openedagain to discharge the contents to the drain D.

FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative outlet chute 116 having a firstbutterfly valve assembly 134 and the second butterfly valve assembly 148in the bottom grounds chamber 133. As described above, the firstbutterfly valve assembly 134 actuates between an open position to allowused coffee grounds from the brewing of the beverage in the brew vessel102 to pass into the bottom grounds chamber 133. The second butterflyvalve assembly 148 is disposed adjacent to a second end of the outletchute 132, and remains closed at the end of the brewing cycle so thatgrounds descend into the bottom grounds chamber 133 onto the closedsecond butterfly valve assembly 148. The second butterfly valve assemblyhas a fine screen. The same as the first butterfly valve 136.

After the coffee has been withdrawn and the used coffee grounds havesettled a substantially quick burst of water or air loosens used coffeegrounds above the first butterfly valve 136 and the first butterflyvalve 136 is then opened to allow the dislodged coffee grounds to fallinto the bottom grounds chamber 133 as shown in FIG. 7, while the secondbutterfly valve assembly 148 remains closed. Once substantially all ofthe dislodged coffee grounds enter the bottom grounds chamber 133, thefirst butterfly valve 136 is actuated to the closed position to preventadditional used coffee grounds from entering the bottom grounds chamber133.

A line 900 is connected to an opening 902 to the bottom of the groundschamber 133 and is in fluid communication with an opening 904 at the topof the brew vessel 102, so that the residual brewed beverage may beremoved from the bottom grounds chamber 133 by pump 906 back into thebrew vessel 102.

Once the residual brewed beverage has been pumped back into the brewvessel 102, the second butterfly valve is opened and a burst of waterfrom water supply 139 is adapted to output a substantially quick burstof fluid to dislodge or loosen the used coffee grounds that havecollected on top of the second butterfly valve 150 in the bottom groundschamber 133, similar to the manner the first butterfly valve 136dislodges or loosens accumulated used coffee grounds as describe above.The residual brewed beverage is then filtered, thereby preventing brewedcoffee from being wasted.

FIGS. 18-23 show a home version of the present invention. FIG. 18 showsa brew vessel 408; a coffee storage chamber 422 consisting of a standardglass coffee carafe; a water heating chamber 402; a coffee bean grinder404; and a carafe heating plate 420. A portion of the walls of the brewvessel may be transparent for viewing of the brewing of the coffee.There is an outlet 403 in the water heating chamber 402 and an outlet407 in the coffee bean grinder 404 that permits the water and the groundcoffee beans to be deposited into the brew vessel 408. The brew vessel408 contains the magnet stirrer 410, operated by a magnetic motor 412 inthe base and a filter 409. A controller 500 controls the heating of thewater, the grinding of the coffee beans, and valves 406 and 403 fordepositing of the water and ground coffee into the brew vessel 408, aswell as the amount of time the magnet stirrer 410 is on. A rotatableclosure lid 418 is located beneath the brew vessel 408 and above aportion of the frame 401. The rotatable closure lid shown in FIGS. 21and 22 has openings 419A and 419B so that when its first position theopenings 419A and 419B are not in alignment with the openings 421A,421B, 421C, 421D, 421E, and 421F thereby preventing any fluid frompassing through the openings to the carafe 422. When the rotatableclosure lid 418 is rotated, by movement of extending handle 423, theopenings 419A and 419B align with openings 421A-421F permitting thecoffee in the brew vessel 408 to pass into the carafe 422. The brewvessel 408 is held in place by cooperating pins 426 and 428 so that thebrew vessel 408 containing the filter and magnet stirrer 410 areremovable for cleaning.

Referring to FIGS. 19 and 22, a cover 416 for the magnet stirrer 410 isshown. The cover 416 consists of a series of thin wires 414. The top ofthe cover 416 being pivotable along one end 417 and a clasp 430 at theother end to open the top of the cover 416 and access the magnet stirrer410. The cover 416 limits dislodgement of the magnet stirrer 410 duringbrewing and also prevents loss of the magnet stirrer 410 during cleaningof the magnet stirrer 410 and filter 409.

The operation of the home version of the present invention isessentially the same as the industrial version described above, afterthe coffee is in the carafe 422, the heating plate 420 keeps the coffeehot. As with the industrial version, the home version can be used tomake cold brew coffee, the controller 500 controls the amount of timethat the magnet stirrer 422 operates.

Although the present disclosure and its advantages have been describedin detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutionsand alterations can be made herein without departing from the technologyof the disclosure as defined by the appended claims. For example,relational terms, such as “above” and “below” are used with respect tocomponents. Of course, if the component is inverted, above becomesbelow, and vice versa. Additionally, if oriented sideways, above andbelow may refer to sides of a component. Moreover, the scope of thepresent application is not intended to be limited to the particularconfigurations of the process, machine, manufacture, composition ofmatter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As oneof ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from thedisclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter,means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developedthat perform substantially the same function or achieve substantiallythe same result as the corresponding configurations described herein maybe utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly, theappended claims are intended to include within their scope suchprocesses, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means,methods, or steps.

It should be understood that when an element is referred to as being“connected” or “coupled” to another element (or variations thereof), itcan be directly connected or coupled to the other element or interveningelements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to asbeing “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element (orvariations thereof), there are no intervening elements present.

Benefits, other advantages, and solutions to problems have beendescribed herein with regard to specific embodiments. However, thebenefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and elements that may causeany benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronouncedare not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features orelements of the disclosure. It should be appreciated that in theappended claims, reference to an element in the singular is not intendedto mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “oneor more.”

The description of the disclosure is provided to enable any personskilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modificationsto the disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art,and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to othervariations without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure.Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples anddesigns described herein but is to be accorded the widest scopeconsistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein. Thefollowing goes at the end of the current detailed description of theinvention

Although several embodiments have been described in detail for purposesof illustration, various modifications may be made without departingfrom the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, thedisclosure is not to be limited by the examples presented herein, but isenvisioned as encompassing the scope described in the appended claimsand the full range of equivalents of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A coffee machine comprising a brew vessel, aninput to said brew vessel for water and coffee grounds; a first outletfor brewed coffee, a filter for filtering used coffee grounds from thebrewed coffee, a stirrer member in said brew vessel to mix the water andcoffee grounds, said stirring member located below at least a portion ofsaid filter.
 2. The coffee machine of claim 1 in which the stirrermember creates a flow of the mixture of said water and coffee groundssubstantially parallel to the surface of the filter.
 3. The coffeemachine of claim 1 in which the filter includes openings ofapproximately 35-75 microns.
 4. The coffee machine of claim 1 in whichthe stirrer member is a magnet.
 5. The coffee machine of claim 1 inwhich there is a second outlet for removal of the used coffee grounds.6. The coffee machine of claim 5 including a valve which selectivelyopens and closes said second outlet.
 7. The coffee machine of claim 1including a base in contact with the brew vessel and a heat exchanger insaid base, said heat exchanger heated or cooled by circulating waterfrom a water source.
 8. A method for making coffee using a brew vesselhaving a stirrer member, a filter and an outlet comprising the steps of:(1) mixing water and coffee grounds in said brew vessel to create afluidized slurry; (2) brewing the fluidized slurry; (3) substantiallystopping the mixing of the fluidized slurry; (4) having the coffeegrounds in the fluidized slurry settle on at least a portion of thefilter creating a bed of used coffee grounds; and (5) having the coffeein the fluidized slurry then pass through the bed of settled used coffeegrounds and then through a filter to an outlet.
 9. The method of claim 8in which the bed of used coffee grounds includes grounds smaller thanthe openings in the filter.
 10. A coffee machine comprising a brewvessel, a means for stirring water in in the brew vessel, a source ofhot water, a controller for controlling the temperature of the source ofwater, a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of water in thebrew vessel, and a water circulation system comprising a water inputinto the brew vessel and a water output from the brew vessel and a pumpfor circulating water from said water output to the source of hot waterand back into said water input.